Satellite News

The U.S. Air Force is considering hiring private sector firms to act as consultants and contractors for the GPS III programme, the Wall Street Journal reported.

News Corporation announced that it had signed a share exchange agreement with Liberty Media Corporation.

EchoStar Communications Corporation announced that its DISH Network passed the 13 million customer milestone.

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. said that underwriters bought their full allotment of additional shares in Gilat’s public offering, bringing gross proceeds to US$68.4 million (EUR51.8 million).

Loral Space & Communications Inc. and the Canadian Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) have entered into a definitive agreement with BCE Inc. to buy Telesat Canada.

RRSat Global Communications Network Ltd. announced that it has signed a total of 21 new contracts since the beginning of the current quarter.

Integral Systems, Inc. reported its financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006.

Rupert Murdoch, who controls News Corp., reportedly has reached a verbal agreement with Liberty Media Corp.’s John Malone to swap News Corp.’s 39 percent interest in DirecTV for Liberty’s 19 percent voting stake in News Corp.